hat's what delayed me. When I saw they had a letter for you--"

"For me?" snorted the director, and took doubtfully enough the epistle
Nan held out to him. But when he sighted the superscription he tore it
open with an exclamation of impatient surprise.

"_Now_, what does Madam want?" he muttered, and those few words revealed
to Nan Sherwood what she had suspected to be the fact about the
director--that she was a very exacting task-mistress.

Miss Penny, nodding slily to Nan and Bess, slipped away to the stage on
which the Gypsy camp was set, and around which several men in brigandish
looking costumes were lounging.

"What's this you young ladies want of me?" asked the director, rather
puzzled, it seemed, after reading the note. "All she writes is to
recommend Miss Sherwood to my attention and then includes a lot of
instructions for to-morrow's work." He smiled sourly. "She is not
explicit. Do you want work?"

"Oh, mercy me! no!" cried Nan.

"I should say not!" murmured Bess.

The director's worried, querulous face showed relief. He listened
attentively while Nan explained about the runaways. She likewise repeated
the actress' version of the discharging of the girls whom she had
afterward identified as the two for whom Nan and Bess were in search.

"Yes, yes! I remember. And Madam was quite right in that instance,"
grudgingly admitted the director. He drew a notebook from his pocket and
fluttered the leaves. "Yes. Here are their names crossed off my list.
'Lola Montague' and 'Marie Fortesque.' I fancy," said Mr. Gray,
chuckling, "they expected to see those names on the bills."

"But, oh, Mr. Gray!" cried Nan Sherwood, feeling in no mood for laughing
at silly Sallie Morton and Celia Snubbins. "Don't you know where they
live--those two poor girls?"

"Why--no. They were extras and we get plenty of such people," said the
director, carelessly. "Now, the girl who sent them is as daring a girl as
I ever saw. I'm sorry she's hurt, or sick, or something, for although
Jenny Albert has little 'film charm,' as we call it, she is useful--

"There!" suddenly broke off Mr. Gray. "You might try Jenny's address. She
sent those girls here. She probably knows where they live."

He hastily wrote down the street and number on a card and handed it to
Nan. "Sorry. That's the best I can do for you, Miss Sherwood."

He turned away, taking up his own particular worries again.

"And, goodness me, Nan!" sighed Bess, as they went out